Samuel L. Jackson is apparently very, very close to strapping on his Nick Fury eyepatch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe once again.

According to Deadline, Samuel L Jackson has agreed to make an appearance — nobody's sure yet if it's a cameo or a major supporting role — opposite Brie Larson in the long-awaited Captain Marvel.

Ahead of that, Fury is rumoured to pop up alongside every Marvel Cinematic Universe hero ever in next year's Avengers: Infinity War for a cosmic adventure that may open the door for a new phase in the character's MCU journey.

We last saw the former SHIELD boss in Avengers: Age of Ultron, he was covertly trying to help Captain America and his fellow recruits while still letting the world believe he'd been killed by HYDRA in The Winter Soldier.

Captain Marvel will be a huge milestone as it's the MCU's first-ever solo female superhero movie (a mere 11 years into the series), and is also the jump for indie filmmakers Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck into the Hollywood blockbuster.

Having one of the original MCU heroes like Fury around has obvious appeal, especially since Captain Marvel's story itself ties into both the studio's past (earthbound heroes) and future (cosmic adventures).

Larson has been cast in the title role as Carol Danvers, a human who becomes one of the most powerful heroes in the galaxy when her genes are infused with alien DNA.

For the record, Marvel Studios is not confirming or denying that Jackson will appear in Captain Marvel at this stage. Earlier this year, Jackson claimed that the studio blocked his request to appear in Black Panther.

Avengers: Infinity War opens on April 27, 2018 in the UK and May 3, 2018 in the US, while Captain Marvel arrives on March 8, 2019 in UK and US cinemas.